Black Nightmares
by Art4Life1
Summary: Pitch has returned from the shadows, but now he has new targets. Ones that are as ancient as the Guardians themselves and, if the cards are played correctly, could lead to just as much damage.
1. Prologue

**AN: Hello everyone. This is something I've had in my head for a bit and I hope you enjoy it.**

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Leaves rustled as the sun made its path, slowly sliding down the sky. The leaves reflected its color, a bright amber glow encompassing the land around it. It was almost as though the world was on fire.

A man stood nearby, looking out of place in the world bathed in light. His eyes scanned the distant suburbs, squinting at the brightness that jutted against his eyes. It seemed as if the sun couldn't go down fast enough for him. And, indeed, as the ball of fire fell further and further below the horizon, the more comfortable he seemed.

It seemed fitting that the man who was dressed completely in black would be more at home in it. Even his hair was a black the color of ink, his skin an ashen gray. As the last sunray left the sky, a smile crept over his face, one that, should anyone see him, make the hair on the back of their necks stand on edge, an uneasiness settle around them. One might even mistake him for something not entirely human.

But this man had nothing to worry about. He knew that he would not be seen, as he had not had eyes set on him for years now.

Suddenly, a sound approached his ears; distant, yet unmistakable. It was the sound of sand. He turned his head, quickly making sure to hide himself in even deeper shadows. Bright golden sand, almost similar to the light rays that had disappeared only a few moments ago, appeared from behind an overhead cloud. It danced across the sky, seeming to have a life of its own, forming animals and bright pictures.

The man watched silently as the sand entered the homes of the people below him. After a few moments, the sand departed as quickly as it had come. When he knew it was safe he walked to the hill, looking down at his target; a two story house in walking distance from where he stood. It seemed quant, but he knew the inhabitant that lay within. Yes, he thought.

"It is time to set the plan in motion."

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**AN: Tell me what you think and thanks for reading.**


	2. The Beginning and the Skyscraper

**AN: Here's the next chapter. Warning: There will be insults near the end.**

* * *

Alfred's eyes narrowed as he stared at the paper in front of him. After a moment, he took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes, cleaning the lenses and then deposited them in their rightful spot on his face.

The blond took another look at the sheet of paper, as if trying to read the words as they scrambled off the page. …It wasn't working. Heaving a tired sigh, he shoved the papers aside and sat back in the chair he was presently sitting in, and had been for the past few hours. It was no use; he had been staring at these things so long he could no longer focus. If he read another sentence of the paperwork his boss had given him, he would go insane.

Slowly, the nation's eyes inched their way towards the clock hanging on the far end of the room. Just past ten…

He huffed. His boss would probably get on to him for not finishing but… he was tired. He really didn't think he would even be able to register what he was reading if he kept going. Resigning to the sleep-deprived portion of his mind, he stood and walked slowly towards his room, stumbling every now and then.

Might as well be drunk, he thought. When he finally reached his room, which seemed to be much too slow for his liking, Alfred took a split second to decide if he wanted to change or not. He went with the latter. As he collapsed on the bed he waited for the thoughts to come, the random thoughts of his people that usually had to be blocked, but surprisingly… they were quieter tonight.

He smiled softly and closed his eyes. It was a nice surprise.

Though right before he fell asleep, he could have sworn he felt a presence not far away.

* * *

_The world was da__rk, so dark._

_It was chaotic. People were running amuck in the streets, trying to salvage whatever they could. Along the streets lay terrors; Zombies stumbling trying to find their next victim, aliens running rampant blasting at anything in their path, ghosts and demons possessing whoever they could and turning them against each other, other supernatural creatures tearing and shredding human flesh. _

_This was all going on in front of him and yet he didn't find it very worrying. He often came across these scenes in the world of dreams, or nightmares, especially after a particularly bad horror movie. He had grown used to them, though he did feel a bit unnerved seeing them all at once…_

_But no, what was really worrying him was the tugging sensation in his gut. The pull, like it was a rope attached to him, was dragging him towards a large building a fair distance away. The building was swarming with darkness and he felt a foreboding sense at seeing it. _

I don't want to go there. I don't want to go there at all.

_And yet, his legs started walking in its direction, through the zombies and aliens, past the ghosts and demons. It was as if he had no free will of his own, just a puppet someone was pulling the strings on. _

_The closer he got to the formidable building, the more the smaller ones seemed to appear around it. They looked abandoned, but he waited anxiously for something to pop out. It could be anything, like the things he had just passed. Though… All of the creatures seemed to have disappeared now._

_But even though there were none in his sight, the feeling only grew stronger. It was as if the building cast a giant shadow over the city, one that would encompass everything if he went in._

_It was only when he grew closer still and the shadow (he did think it was strange that a shadow was on the building even though there was no sunlight) dipped over him, making a cold rush of panic fill his veins, that he managed to try and slow himself down. He grabbed at his legs, trying with all his might to stop them from moving, pulling, tugging, anything-he did not want to go in there; he couldn't go in there- but they(His legs weren't a part of his body now. They were an unknown force pulling him to his doom) wouldn't stop. He only managed to stop them for a fraction of a second, allowing him the smallest sense of relief, before it was cruelly tugged away and they continued._

_They drew closer and closer to the door; gigantic and double sided, contrasting the dull black of the rest of the building (Skyscraper. It was a skyscraper.) with a deep, dark amethyst -like shade. It did not make him feel better in the slightest. _

_As he drew a few feet from the front steps, the doors swung open, revealing nothing but pure, black darkness and his legs kept walking._

_Fear coursed through every vein in his body, panic bordering on hysteria. He had to get away!_

_Plummeting down into a backbend, he tried to claw at the gravel. Bringing his back down in a dead weight, he tried to stop his own limbs. It didn't matter if he could feel the gravel digging and scraping in his skin, the few drops of blood run down his back. He wasn't sure why, but he just could not face whatever lie inside that building._

_Tilting his head back he, though he saw nothing, felt a hand shove him forward. The force was powerful, sending him completely into the darkness. The only sound came from the doors swiftly clanging shut behind him and his own frantic breathing._

_That was when he started shouting._

"_No!" He shot forward as the windows to the outside became foggier, as the echo died. He heaved the door with all his strength, hitting it as hard as he could. "Let me out! Don't leave me in here!" There was no response, but he didn't care. "Le- let me out! I don't want to be here!"_

_His fists paused for a second and in that pause came a voice. It laughed, cold and cruel, the sound reverberating off the walls and being sent straight at him. He slowly turned his head, expecting to see something, but there was nothing. Only pitch black darkness._

_He slid down the door, the air seeming to turn colder the more time passed. His heart hammered, his voice weak and shaky as he started. "Who-" His voice cracked so he tried again. "Who's there?"_

_This time a cackle greeted him and forward stepped his former caretaker. His emerald eyes glinted with amusement as they looked at him, seemingly bearing into his very soul. "Well, hello there America. Gotten yourself into more trouble I see?" He wore a white dress shirt and slacks, almost like he was ready for a world meeting. Or maybe the Englishman knew the man in front of him would be dragged here._

_He blinked, becoming more unnerved by the minute. "W-why are you here?"_

_The Briton smirked. "Well… I was in the neighborhood. I thought I would stop by and take care of some things." _

_The way he eyed him as if he were some animal to be slaughtered, his lips turning into a sneer, made him scoot further against the wall. He prayed the doors would burst open, just for one second, so he could make a break for it. He decided to stall. "What kind of things…?" He tried to make himself sound less scared than he actually was. _Pretend it's a normal conversation, pretend.

"_Oh, just something long unfinished."_

_He heard a soft clink come from somewhere behind Arthur, metal sounding, hollow. When the man in question saw him eyeing it, he pulled the object out of what seemed like thin air._

_His eyes widened when he saw it, his heart-felt like it would burst out of his chest. He gave up all hope of escaping. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find the words. It was a musket, _the _musket. Not his, but the one Arthur had nearly…_

_The man raised the gun, pointing it at him. A shadow fell over his face. "I should have shot you when I had the chance." It took a moment for him to put his hand on the trigger and then, he pulled._

_The shot echoed loudly as he immediately raised his arms to shield himself. A sharp pain emitted from his stomach and he doubled over. There was an eerie silence that followed as he gritted his teeth, waiting for Arthur's next move. Would he shoot again? Would he kill him? There was nothing and he slowly lowered an arm to inspect the wound. It was deep, blood flowing freely and quickly staining his shirt. _

_Then, another sound came; laughing, as if someone had just uttered the funniest joke in the world. He lowered his other arm and saw Arthur with tears in his eyes, clearly enjoying the shock he was currently showing._

_He stared; emotions started to boil inside his stomach, making him feel sick. The wound hurt yeah, but not as much as those; betrayal, pain, sadness, shock, and for some reason, guilt. … Had he made this happen? _

_Arthur looked at him, cold eyes contrasting drastically with the cruel and sarcastic smile on his face. "Pathetic." Then he disappeared, into the veil of darkness._

_He stared into the darkness as more of his blood pooled onto the ground around him and he wondered if he would be dead by morning. Really, he would probably be dead within the next… Huh, he couldn't tell._

_Suddenly, there was more laughing. He jumped, looking further in the depths, trying to see who or what it could be. Matthew stepped forward._

"_Hello Alfred."_

_He flinched at the way his twin said his name. It was filled with anger, resentment. Did Matt really hate him?_

_His twin smiled sarcastically, as if hearing his thoughts. "Oh, no, I don't hate you. Just because you made my life a living hell? No!" Matthew's face quickly morphed into one to match his tone and the way he glared at him. "That's not the only reason I hate you." He growled._

_He shrunk back, almost like he had when Matt had gone on a three hour long rant but… This was worse. Had he really made his twin hate him that much?_

"_Yes, you have. You want to know why?"_

_No, he didn't._

"_Well, you're going to hear it Alfred!" The Canadian gritted his teeth. "You made me be forgotten Al! How's that for a reason! You just… You walk around like you know everything and come up with these stupid ideas that don't even work. People mistake me for you all the time and we don't even really look alike! We don't act alike! I get beaten up almost once a week by Carlos because he thinks I'm you!"_

_He felt a new emotion now; shame. "I'm sorry Matt… I don't meant to- I didn't-"_

"_You didn't know?! Alfred just…" Matthew paced the floors a few times before he stopped and glared. "You know what… You aren't worth my time. I'm not helping you." He disappeared. _

_For what seemed like hours he stared into the pool or black, trying to comprehend that his brother, his twin, had just deserted him. Then, when a sharp stab or pain came, he put a hand over the wound and tried to stop the bleeding. It didn't work, the crimson liquid was still dripping out. Then, there was silence, complete silence. It was something he didn't need; he didn't need to be alone with his thoughts right now, not-_

_Voices started. They seemed to come from everywhere, not just in the darkness, but behind him. They came from anywhere in the building; screaming, talking._

"_Don't need? You selfish capitalist."_

"_Worthless!"_

"_Pathetic!"_

"_Weak!"_

"_Fat!"_

"_Useless pig."_

_He put his hands over his ears, trying to block out the insults. They just kept coming and coming. Squeezing his eyes shut he shouted, "Stop! Stop it!"_

"_Why would we stop? You ruined everything!"_

"_You're awful and you know it."_

"_Go away! We don't need you!"_

"_We wouldn't care if you left!"_

"_Drop dead Alfred."_

_He leaned forward, feeling his eyes sting with tears, several running down his face. "Stop it! Please!"_

_Then a voice whispered, right next to his ear. It caused a shiver up his spine and terror to echo through his being. _

"_We'll all betray you in the end. You have no friends."_

* * *

Alfred's eyes shot open and he still found himself staring into blackness. His chest was shaking with the force of his breaths and he, along with his clothes, was drenched in sweat. His heart felt like it had run a marathon… on mars. Quickly, he tried to get up, to get away. He found that there was no door blocking his exit.

Something moved under him, though he wasn't sure what. Something creaked and he found that his hands and, well, arms were shaking. He reached for a new place to lay his hand, but found nothing. The next thing he knew, he was lying face down on a hard surface, his butt in the air and legs sprawled in different directions. His hair stuck to his face and he had to try very hard to remember how to breathe.

Looking up, he saw faint shapes in the room; a dresser with clothes sprawled in various directions, a nightstand with a black brick shape that looked similar to a cellphone and a lamp, a door that was wide open, a fan spinning in continuous circles gently sending a breeze his way. It wasn't completely black.

He slowly sat up, trying to find the bullet hole in his side that was no longer there. He gave a shaky breath and whispered, "What the… hell… was… that…?"

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**AN: Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think.**


	3. That Feeling

**AN: Here's the new chapter. I hope it's not too dramatic. Heh... Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. The ones after this will be longer. I'm hoping to bring more nations in and start to have the Guardians as well.**

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Matthew laid his head on the icy counter, proceeding to hold back a groan as he had been doing for the past few…whatever time it was. His phone lay a few inches in front of him, its dark screen seemingly mocking him.

Inside his gut a great war seemed to be taking place, one that he had been trying to take sides on since he had woken up that morning. Or shortly thereafter. And now it was… what time?

He slowly picked his head up and turned it to check out the frost-bitten window. It was dark, the sky a perfect midnight blue. Great, he had been at this longer than he thought. Why did his brother have to be so stubborn?

Snowflakes tumbled outside, seemingly trying to dance with each other. He wondered how they could look so carefree.

The losses of the war were growing and god he hated the stupid feeling. Yes, it told him when his brother was in trouble, but the last time he had called…

He laughed softly. Yeah, Alfred had deflected his worry like a force field. Matt, he had said, you're overthinking it. I'm fine.

Oh, of course he was fine. He was always _fine_.

Heaving a sigh the Canadian picked up his phone in what was almost a pain staking manner, but… he didn't care if Alfred joked around when he called. He just had to know if he was okay; if the feeling was right. It always came when something was wrong with one of them and no matter what it would not fail to drive them insane with worry. It didn't matter which of them had it, the thing that came in waves and made them feel like any minute the other would be attacked; they always had to keep checking. If only just to make sure the brother on the other side was alright. But…

Almost every time it was correct.

He unlocked his phone and speedily dialed his brother's number. As he pulled it to his ear and heard it ring, fear pricked his insides.

What if something was really wrong? What if Alfred was hurt or sick or, god forbid, dying?

Not being able to help himself, the Canadian started pacing. Three rings, four rings…

What if he couldn't even pick up the phone?

The feeling grew stronger still and as he cursed it his mind kindly implied how stupid he was being. He was worrying for nothing. It was all some stupid prank. But… how the hell would it be a prank?

Six… Seven…

Come on Alfred, pick up.

Then, finally, there was a click on the other end. It sent a wave of relief through him, but that collapsed abruptly when he heard what his brother's voice sounded like. Although he made it sound cheerful, the underlying tone was… almost wary. It was also tired, incredibly so, and it unnerved him.

"Hey bro. Why you calling so late?"

Matthew paused a moment before speaking, preparing himself for the onslaught of words saying he was being a complete moron. "I uh… _That _feeling is back, Al. Is everything okay?"

There was a moment of silence over the line, only for a split second, but in it he knew Alfred was thinking very carefully about what he was going to respond with and how he was going to say it.

"Yeah, dude, I'm fine." His brother paused. "…Why?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. Alfred's voice had been curious, like he hadn't heard the explanation the moment before. "Al… I just said why." It was hard to believe he had slipped up so easily.

There was a slight static over the line. Had Alfred… jumped? His twin laughed and, though he supposed it was intended to be in a light hearted manner, it sounded nervous.

"Heh heh, right. Sorry. I stayed up a bit too late last night playing a new game." He cleared his throat. "So when did it start?"

The Canadian paused, trying to pick out exactly when he had noticed the growing sensation of anxiousness and paranoia in his stomach. "Well… I only just noticed it this morning…" It had just grown from there. "But I think it's been there a few days. You know how it starts; just an itch that something's wrong and its downhill from there."

As he knew would happen, Alfred waved his worry off as if it were an insect. "You're just overreacting, I promise. Nothing's wrong. I mean you know how I feel about the cold, but besides that I'm good."

He bit back a sigh. Did his brother really expect him to believe the words tumbling out of his mouth? He forced the next sentence out, knowing it wouldn't be well received. "Are you sure?"

Alfred hesitated. He hardly ever hesitated. "Yeah, I'm sure." He really did sound nervous, maybe scared, but what could possibly be scaring him?

Despite his worries, Matthew went along with the lie. He was afraid that his brother would hang up or worse if he kept pressing the issue. "Okay, I believe you."

Alfred's voice seemed surprised, most likely despite himself, when he asked, "You do?"

"Oui. Sorry for calling you so late. Get some sleep, Al."

For a moment he could have sworn he heard a whimper before both of them ended the call.

* * *

A boy sat cross-legged on a sofa in his home, eyes narrowed in thought. His chocolate hair had fallen ever so slightly over his eyes. He almost seemed to be asleep.

The door shut behind him. He didn't look up as he heard familiar footsteps enter the room. For a moment, he heard them pause and immediately after his mother was behind him. She hadn't had to work today. "Jamie, are you feeling okay sweetheart?" She asked quietly, worry lacing her tone. "You'd normally be outside by now."

He looked outside and it was only then that he noticed it was snowing. The soft flakes rained down from the sky, just like he remembered it from a few years ago in his room. His eyes widened. Oh man! He might have missed Jack.

A cold hand pressed on his forehead and he looked up, giving his mom a wan smile as he reached for his jacket. "Yeah mom, I'm fine. I was just waiting to see if Sophie wanted to come."

She took her hand away, satisfied to see he didn't have a fever, and looked towards the hallway where they both could hear tiny running feet. Sophie emerged a moment later, hopping up and down excitedly. She was wearing her winter coat, which was still a bit too big on her.

"Snow, Jamie!" She ran to him and grabbed his hand, pointing outside. Then, she was on her tip toes and whispering, "Jack."

He smiled and walked as she nearly dragged him out the door. "I'll watch her mom."

"Okay, just be careful on the ice. I'll make some cocoa when you get back."

Both of them nodded excitedly and ran outside, before they could even hear her say 'have fun', but Jamie noticed the prickling feeling still hadn't gone away. He hoped he really was just catching something.

* * *

Drawers were open all around him as Matthew tried to rifle through his clothes. All he had managed to do was pull random pants and shirts out and sprawl them across the room. Shaking his head, he grabbed a few that would keep him warm and stuffed them in his suitcase. He wasn't sure how many he needed, but he needed them quickly.

As he grabbed long sleeve shirts and a jacket or two, well aware of the bristling cold outside, he caught Kumajiro entering the room in his peripheral vision. He continued for a few moments, expecting the bear to watch for a minute or two and then leave to do his business. However, that wasn't the case.

Kuma sat and watched, shifting his gaze from the suitcase to him. He questioned, "Where are you going?"

Matthew stopped, pausing as he was about to add a scarf to his suitcase. "I'm going to Al's house."

The bear nodded. He was used to that. "Are you going on your plane?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but realized he hadn't even thought about booking a flight or using his own jet. "They're probably shut down anyway…" He murmured, laying the scarf on top of his clothes and zipping the suitcase shut.

"Are you taking me with you?"

He paused a moment before nodding. "Yeah."

"Okay." Kuma stood and walked towards the door. "Tell me when we leave."

Nodding absently, Matthew grabbed the handle of his suitcase and moved it to the floor, where it sat ready for when he needed to grab it. He then proceeded to sit on his bed, wondering what he should do.

He knew for a fact that most flights were shut down or at least delayed and he really didn't want to wait… not to mention, despite it sounding stupid even in his own head, that he didn't want to take anything as suspicious as his own plane.

But if he really was overthinking things, though he severely doubted it, he could at least have a snowball fight with Alfred while he was there. Maybe they could have a movie marathon or something…

He smiled slightly, thinking of the times when they had stayed up all night watching entire movies or television series and seeing which one could outlast the other. The winner usually depended on whether or not they had caffeine available.

Alfred had sounded really tired on the phone though… Was he maybe having-

His train of thought was interrupted by a sudden noise filling the house. It was the sound of… footsteps? They seemed to echo through his house, bouncing off the walls, through the halls until they reached him. They were soft, so much so that he might have missed them if they didn't create such an eerie feeling, almost a presence, to go along with them. The steps were hollow, belonging to no one in the house, even though it was only Kuma and he.

Matthew silently stood, slowly grabbing the hockey stick he had leaning against his wall. When he reached the door, he asked quietly, "Kuma, is that you?" Come on, Matthew. He had watched Alfred's horror movies. He knew why it was stupid to ask.

His bear called back in a wary voice, hearing the same thing he was. "No, I don't see anyone."

Taking a deep breath, the Canadian ripped himself into the hallway. He gazed down both hallways and found they were empty, except for the one to his right where Kuma was sniffing, trying to find the intruder.

Before he could begin to wonder if he had imagined things, a voice reached his ear. It was as hollow as the steps, colder than the snow outside his home, and so close it seemed to echo.

It whispered, "Scared, are we?"

A chill ran down his spine and he instantly felt as if all of the warmth had been drained from his body, as if the voice had somehow awakened an ancient fear he had long forgotten about. Jumping backward, his body giving an involuntary shudder, the Canadian brought the hockey stick down as swiftly as he could manage. All it came in contact with was open air.

Blinking, breathing heavy, Matthew grabbed his suitcase. He then grabbed Kuma and quickly ran out the door, shut it, and locked it.

"We're going to Al's. Now." He thought aloud, hurrying to use the nation's way of travel.

Whatever was going on he did not like it.

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**AN: Thank you for reading! Tell me what you think.**


	4. Roads and LIFE

**AN: Here's the new chapter everyone! Heh, I did say it would be longer... I hope you enjoy it, and Jack. There will also be another country in this chapter.**

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Snow billowed through the suburbs as the night grew darker. The sky was a dark, midnight blue and the streets were nearly invisible from the lack of moonlight. The only glimpse of civilization came from the streetlamps humming in their artificial way and, if anyone was still awake, the warm glow from inside resident's homes.

Footsteps crunched in the snow, barely able to reach one's ears before they became lost in the howling wind. The lamps illuminated a teen, seeming completely at ease in the frigid weather. His skin had a pallor that was almost as white as the flakes that fell from the sky, his aqua hoodie laced with ice in numerous areas, his pants looking almost frozen to his legs. His feet were uncovered, his hair a bright silver. He was smiling, moving a frost covered crook back and forth in his hands. He didn't seem to have a care in the world.

The wind shifted ever so slightly next to his ear and the teen turned his head, as if the wind were speaking to him. As he turned, he saw a house to his left.

The house looked fairly quant, only two stories in height. The color was muted from the night and he saw no signs of life within it. Snow was piled up near the bare bushes and even some by the doorway, like the person living there hadn't bothered to try and clear it away.

This wasn't, however, what had caught his attention.

One moment, there had been nothing in the front yard; just the snow and two cars in the long driveway. The next, there was someone standing there, a shadow that he couldn't make out.

Curious and wary, he motioned towards the wind and it grew stronger around him, allowing him to jump into the current. He rode it closer towards the house, noticing vaguely that it was bigger than he had first taken it for, and got to a spot that allowed him see the shadow in a better light.

Despite what he had first thought it was not a shadow at all, but a man. He saw that the man wasn't much older than himself (in physical appearance anyways) and had medium length blond hair. And… despite the cold, was only wearing clothes a bit thicker than he was. Something glinted through the snow. Glasses maybe…?

The man walked towards the door, carrying something behind him. It looked like a suitcase. He also was carrying something in his arms…

He flew, or glided, a little closer, allowing himself a better look and his eyes widened. "No way." He whispered, feeling giddy despite the oddness of the scene. Was that a polar bear? How did he even have a polar bear?

He watched as the man set his suitcase down, along with (yes, it was) the polar bear. He knocked on the door, looking at home despite the worry that was etched onto his face. He still seemed a bit freaked out.

He couldn't help but wonder; what was wrong?

After a minute a light burst from the house, telling him that someone was indeed home. A few more minutes passed and he spotted a figure stumble through the living room towards the door. When it opened, light flooded past both men and he saw who had opened the door.

The new man looked similar to the other; shorter blond hair, glasses, around the same age, height and build. Though, he did notice that his hair looked like someone had rubbed a balloon through it one too many times. They were probably twins…

Something struck him at the sight of this guy… His eyes narrowed.

Jack had seen him somewhere before.

* * *

Matthew began looking over his twin as soon as the door opened.

His hair was sticking out in all directions, suggesting that he had been asleep. His clothes, too, agreed with the idea; a plain long shirt and alien pajama pants. He didn't have his glasses on, which explained, along with the just waking up (he hadn't bought the idea just yet…It wasn't too late.), the stumbling.

He couldn't have come for nothing, though.

Alfred was slumped over, looking like he might pass out, and when he spoke, his voice was dead tired. "…Matt?" For a moment his twin stared at him, as if trying to decide if this was a dream or not, before his entire demeanor changed. His eyes widened and he straightened, seeming entirely more awake. His voice was surprised and almost seemed slightly exited when he asked, "Dude! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

He shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed suddenly. Thankfully that hid nervousness he was still feeling from the…voice. . He didn't want to tell Alfred about that. At least not yet. His brother didn't need to hear about it if he was already having nightmares. "Well…I was just uh, worried."

A white blob past the doorway caught his eye and he saw that Kuma had already entered the house and was now heading to the guest room.

His twin laughed softly, causing Matthew to return his eyes to their previous target, and opened the door wider. "Well, since you're here, get in before you freeze your ass off."

The Canadian nodded and walked in, hearing the door shut behind him. Almost immediately he was hit with the warmth of his brother's house, so different from the snow storm outside. He felt a bit like someone who had been away from home to long.

"You know where your stuff goes."

He walked to the guest room, smiling when he saw that it had hardly changed since he had left. The bed was halfway made (because Alfred never really had many reasons to make it up. He came here often enough.), some of his things he had left from a previous visit on the nightstand.

He set his suitcase next to the wall and saw that Kuma was already curled up near the bed. Chuckling to himself, he returned to the living room.

The room was large with a fireplace in the center. Across from it sat the couch and next to it the circle-like entrance to the kitchen. The walls were a rich purple and gave off a calming aura that grew over everything. He always loved that about it.

However, the brightness in the room made it almost unnerving now. All of the lights were on, including those in the kitchen. He couldn't help but find that weird. Alfred usually kept most of the lights off. It always sent up the bills if he didn't. And why were they all on now if Alfred had turned them off before he went to bed?

Speaking of him, his brother was sitting near the fire, hands held out to catch the heat the flames were giving off. Now, with the firelight, Matthew could see what the dark had covered.

Alfred's face was thin, as if telling him his twin hadn't been eating, and he could see the shadows starting to form under his blue eyes. His skin was paler too, if only a bit. It could have been from winter, but he doubted it.

"How long are you gonna be over?"

He shrugged. "I don't know… a few days probably." He could have sworn he saw something pass over Alfred's eyes before it disappeared, replaced by what might have been joy.

"Okay, cool. Wanna have a marathon later?"

Matthew nodded slowly, though he knew that Alfred really didn't need to have a scary movie marathon at the moment. "Sure."

His brother looked towards him, noticing his gaze, and yawned. "Awesome…Okay, I'm gonna go back to bed Matt. G'night." Without another word, Alfred walked in his room and shut the door.

For a moment Matthew stood before he followed suit, returning to the guest room. He left the door cracked just in case and got into bed, not failing to notice that the feeling was stronger now than ever.

* * *

His eyes opened. For a moment he was confused, like anyone is when they first wake and they have no idea why, but then he saw a faint light coming through the cracked door. Then he heard a creak; soft, like someone was trying to hide their footsteps.

Matthew sat up, feeling the cold seep through the blankets. He resisted the urge to pull them back over himself and fall back asleep, instead shifting so his legs were hanging off the bed. The footsteps headed away from the hall, into the kitchen. They weren't the ones that had been in his house; these were definitely Alfred's.

Slowly, he stood, trying not to wake the sleeping polar bear on the floor. He silently opened the door and crept into the hallway only to pause and think about how ridiculous he was being. It was Alfred's house and now he was the one trying to hide his footsteps. Really, he didn't need to walk around like he was breaking in.

But then he got a glimpse of his brother. He looked terrified. His face was pale and when Matthew saw him on the couch trying to drink the glass of water in his hand, he was almost certain that his twins hand was shaking.

So… Definitely nightmares then.

He walked silently into the living room, moving to where he could get a better glimpse. "Al?"

Alfred's entire body nearly lunged off the couch and he gripped the glass so hard matt wasn't sure how it didn't break. He turned his head slowly in his direction. "Yeah…?"

"Are you-"

Something changed in Alfred's eyes. They widened and he looked almost like someone had yelled at him. On impulse the older twin changed strategies, yawning. "What are you doing up?" He slumped slightly, pretending he was just as tired as he had been moments ago.

To his relief Alfred relaxed, if only slightly. The look disappeared as quickly as it had come.

His twin smiled slightly, setting the glass on the coffee table and averting his gaze. "Just got thirsty. Sorry to wake you up bro…"

The yawn was real this time. He nodded, trying not to feel this hurt that Alfred was lying to him. "It's okay. Just go back to bed alright?"

Alfred's soft response of "Okay" barely reached his ears as he headed back to his room. He could ask in the morning, but he hoped if he slept that his brother would follow.

* * *

The moment Matthew walked out of his room that morning he knew that Alfred hadn't followed his example. Not that he had slept well after waking up, but…

Alfred was sitting in the kitchen. He looked paler, making the (still growing) dark circles under his eyes more pronounced than ever. It did seem that he had tried to clean up however; clean clothes, shower, and his hair wasn't trying to defy the laws of gravity. The room looked a little cleaner too, though he didn't care all that much. Of course, Alfred was no doubt used to Arthur nagging him about it.

He walked into the kitchen, making sure that Alfred would be able to hear him. He didn't want a repeat of last night…

As he sat with his twin at the table Alfred looked up. For a moment when Matthew met his eyes he thought the look would be there, but it had gone. His eyes were dull, but they still held some life; the same that joked around and watched movies with him. The Canadian smiled slightly, just noticing the half-full bowl of cereal in front of his brother. At least he was trying to eat something. "Good morning."

Alfred smiled back, poking his lifeless cereal with a spoon. "Morning."

There were soft footsteps and both looked down to see Kuma walking in. The bear sniffed the air for a moment before looking at Matthew.

"Food?" He asked.

Matthew nodded, standing up and moving to a cabinet near the back of the kitchen. He reached inside, struggled for a moment, and then his hand returned victorious clutching a can of salmon. The thing only took a moment to open.

Alfred motioned to the counter where an empty bowl sat, ready for food to be set in.

The Canadian nodded in thanks. Al must have set it there some time after getting up. That's a good sign, he thought. He dumped the salmon in the bowl with a 'plump' and set it on the ground for Kuma, who looked more than happy.

Alfred kept poking at his cereal. Matthew wondered if that was all he had been doing to his food for the past few days.

"How do pancakes sound?" He proposed, "I can make some."

His twin shrugged. "Sure. I've got the usual stuff in the pantry." By 'usual stuff' he meant everything you needed to make pancakes from scratch.

Matthew nodded and opened a door in the very back of the room. It almost looked like a walk-in closet but it was filled with ingredients, most for home cooked meals. After grabbing all of the ingredients (Milk, flour, baking powder, etc.) he turned towards his brother. "How many do you want?"

"I don't know… Two?"

He nodded, despite knowing his brother usually ate more than that. He always said something about his pancakes being the "best in the world" and that anyone who said otherwise had a thing or two coming. Smiling to himself, Matthew started making what was probably his favorite food.

It didn't take long to get them done; maybe fifteen to twenty minutes. Alfred's cereal had gone soggy by that point, but he hadn't bothered to put it up.

He set a plate on the table in front of Alfred's face, waiting for his twin to look up. When he did his eyes narrowed questioningly.

"Eat." Matthew instructed, his tone only slightly joking, "It's good for you."

Alfred watched as he grabbed his own plate and set a fork on each. For a moment his twin stared at it as if the round squishy thing were an alien, but then picked up his utensil and slowly began eating. Matthew smiled softly and started to eat his own.

After a few minutes he saw that Alfred was nearly finished. Though he hadn't eaten very much of his share, he decided to ask. "Al?"

His twin looked up, mouth full. He tried to talk, unintelligible syllables coming forth, before swallowing. "Yeah?"

"Are you having nightmares?"

The answer was easy and obvious; yes, of course. But his brother being… well Alfred, diverted the subject. He leaned back against the chair, shifting his gaze to the table. For a moment he was silent before he said, a slight smile in his voice,

"I avert your accusing question with a proposition. How about some syrup?"

Both looked at the artificial syrup on the table that Matthew hadn't even realized he had grabbed.

The Canadian smirked. "I deny your proposition. This isn't even real maple syrup. Where's the good stuff?"

Alfred motioned towards the fridge. Matthew opened the door and saved the bottle quickly from the cold, pouring it on his pancakes. Both were silent for a moment.

Matthew broke it first. "Really, Alfred, don't pretend you have no idea what I'm talking about."

"I'm not though Matt. Really." The American defended.

With a slight sigh, Matthew continued to eat his pancakes. If Alfred wasn't going to concede then he was going to have to either wait it out or force the issue. Knowing his brother, if Matthew forced the issue he would keep on denying it. Plus, there was last night… And the phone call. And the feeling that been growing steadily since he had arrived.

"So," Alfred began, "How about a movie-"

"No, let's not do scary movies Al.", Matthew interrupted. He thought he saw Alfred relax a little. "How about…" He thought a moment.

Then, both of their eyes lit up and they exclaimed together. "Board games."

* * *

Across the world Feliciano was taking his routine siesta. If anyone had popped their head into the room everything would have seemed fine; peaceful. But if you looked closer they would see his eyelids twitching, the eyeballs flickering rapidly underneath. His breathing had shifted minutes ago.

* * *

_He blinked. Where was he?_

_His eyes shifted around but there was nothing familiar. In fact, there was nothing at all._

_Around him there was merely darkness, though he could make out three trails; two were on either side of him and the other behind. They were a murky gray and wispy, like smoke… it felt like he had walked down them before._

_Why is that, he wondered. Why would he go down any of them? They weren't welcoming. He had a foreboding feeling just looking at them, much less trying to see what they held further along the way._

_But… why did it feel like he had to choose…?_

_A sound hit his ears; high and airy. He jumped, sucking in a breath. "Who's there?" His eyes flicked from place to place, but there was nothing… There was no flicker of life beyond the roads. The sound (It couldn't have been a laugh… Could it?) reminded him of a child. _

"_Hello? Are you alright?" _

_When there was no answer his eyebrows furrowed. If it had been a laugh, why would they be laughing if they were in trouble? Why would they even be here in the first place?_

_Footsteps ran behind him, loud in the silence. They were so close. He whipped around, but there was still nothing. The only thing there dotting the gray were tiny footprints._

"_What do you want?" He asked, his voice shaky. "Why are you here?"_

_The laugh came again, (it was a laugh. He could tell now.) echoing despite there being no walls in sight. He turned around and this time caught the end of a cape as it disappeared. It was as black as the rest of the place._

_He stared into the blackness for a few moments. This was scary… _Where the hell was I?!

_He blinked. There was a face in front of his, its large shining blue eyes bearing into him, unblinking. Its skin was as pale as death._

"_AAAGGH!" He fell backwards onto the beginning of the third trail, hands scraping the mist. Despite it looking transparent it felt like sharp rocks. Maybe even knives. A boy was in front of him; one with a long black cape and… He paused. A black hat that was a bit too big. Blonde hair… His breath caught in his throat. "H-holy Rome?"_

_The long dead empire finally blinked, smiling in a way he had never seen before, standing on what could have been a ledge separating the first two roads. The smile wasn't a welcoming one, only inviting more unease. It almost seemed unnatural. "Hello Italy. Long time no see, huh?"_

_He nodded slowly, scooting back further. His hands felt like they were cut. His clothes were probably getting ripped too…"Y-yeah…" He gulped. "Why are you here?" _

_Holy Rome plopped on the ledge, landing on something solid despite it looking as though he were floating in thin air, his feet swinging. For a moment, he frowned. "I just thought I would pay you a visit."_

"_Oh…" He laughed nervously. "Okay. …It's good to see you again." He wouldn't even believe himself if he were on the other end of the words._

_The smile was back, larger now, as if the long gone empire had expected that response. "You too. I really wanted to tell you something." The empire jumped down from the ashen ledge and stepped closer, his face becoming completely serious. That was more of what he had remembered, until the words came. They were spoken quietly, but yet… they were so cold and empty, like he didn't care what happened. "Run."_

_He blinked, a chill running up his spine, the cold nearly causing him to shiver. "Run…? W-what do you mean run?"_

_Something shot past his ear, faster than he could even think. More and more whizzed, their cases gleaming for a split second as they passed the roads. Bullets._

"_Wha- Holy Rome-" He turned his head, looking down, but there was no one there. He didn't know why he thought the boy could stop the bullets, but now that he was gone… His eyes widened and he flipped around, scrambling up. Then he ran as fast as he could down the road with more bullets still zipping by. Three, ten, twenty. _

_He ran and ran, unsure how long the road would go on or if it would ever turn. Who was shooting?! Why were they shooting at him? When would they run out of bullets?!_

_After minutes and minutes they were still coming. His breath was falling short, chest heaving. __There was a hole inside his lungs that wouldn't be filled up, but he had to keep going. He had to get away. He had to find someone. Someone had to-_

_The gray stopped and so did he. He sucked in one breath after another, searching frantically for any place the road might continue despite knowing there was none. It had to continue, it just had to. _

_The blackness was closing in, pressing down on him. He was breathing to fast. Pain was shooting through his back and his legs. _

_Wait… pain?_

_He looked down, his eyes slowly moving over the blood that was staining his shirt, the rips in his clothes, even the stray bullet that came right through him. His eyes widened as everything registered and he fell onto the gravel, parts of him landing in the darkness._

_It was so… cold; so completely empty. All he wanted to do was to move, to get up and get out of the abyss, but he couldn't. His arms were lead and his head rock._

_The laughter echoed again, along with a voice. He couldn't tell whose it was. It could have been Holy Rome, it could have been Ludwig, it could have been Kiku, it could even have been Lovino. It seemed like all of their voices mixed, forming the words, "You were always useless Italy."_

_He let out a shaky breath, looking either way into the darkness, trying to find that one speck of light._

_They sounded so cynical, so cruel. Maybe they really meant it this time…_

_Wouldn't somebody just… help him? He wasn't that bad a person was he; to be left to die not even knowing where he was, without even being allowed to say goodbye? They were still his friends, after all._

_Even though they had abandoned him…_

_Even though they had left him alone._

* * *

His eyes shot open, his shaky breathing echoing throughout the emptiness. There was ceiling…

His trembling arms immediately went to his stomach, hands feeling for the wounds, for the blood, waiting for the pain that he knew would be there. But… there was nothing?

Feliciano sat up, lifting up his shirt as his eyes narrowed. There were no wounds, there was no pain. Except that his chest felt like it might explode. "How…?" Where was he?

The floor was wooden and bright, gleaming with the light from the sun. It was daytime…

He sighed with relief, still trying to catch his breath.

The TV in the corner was switched off and on the table he saw two different piles of paperwork. One was his, the other Lovino's. Pictures hung on the wall, mostly ones that he had put up. There were some with himself and the rest of the Axis, but others with Eliza or Antonio or Lovino.

The house suddenly seemed much too quiet, like the darkness had been. Reaching a hand out, he grabbed the corner of the table for support as he tried to stand. His legs wobbled and his feet moved like had never tried to take a step before in his life, but he was on a mission.

As quietly and as steadily as he could manage (which wasn't very) he walked down the hall and opened the first door on the right. "F-fratello?" The words from the nightmare echoed in his mind and he almost turned back, but his brother stirred. A dark brown mop of hair lifted itself from the sheets, groggy brown eyes peering through the mess and meeting his own.

"…mmm… Why 're you up…?"

Feliciano was silent, wondering if he looked as scared as he felt.

Lovino blinked a few times and sat up slightly, rubbing an eye. "Nightmare…?" When he received a nod the older Italian sighed and scooted over. "…Alright."

Feliciano hesitated and his brother raised an eyebrow. Both know that on most days he would run straight for the comfort and warmth being in the same bed offered.

"Come here before I change my mind. I'm fucking tired…"

Though he nodded, the Italian didn't have the heart to tell Lovino that this hadn't been a normal nightmare.

* * *

"Ha, Matt you got another kid."

"I know. Now my twin girls have a brother."

They were on their third game of LIFE, having already played two games of checkers, three games of Yahtzee, four games of Clue, two games of Candy Land, and at least five games of Shoots and Ladders. What could they say? They loved board games and Alfred had a huge collection that ranged from the relics to the middle ground to even the newer, stupider games. They preferred the classics, but they would try the new ones for kicks. And they went through these things fast…

Alfred raised an eyebrow at his brother before squinting at his (he had picked purple, like always. Al usually chose blue.) car on the board. "You've been getting busy with your wife, bro."

Matthew met his brother's eyes, much more full of life now, and started laughing. "Oh, okay." He looked at Alfred's car. His brother hadn't landed on any kid spaces yet, unlike the other games. "You haven't had any yet."

The American grinned. "Maybe she doesn't want kids yet dude. Besides, this is my third marriage." He spun the wheel, landing on eight. After he moved his car, his eyes lit up. "Oh! Baby girl." He picked up a small pink stick and managed to put it in his car after a few failed attempts. "We should have play dates sometimes."

He nodded. "Yeah, they'd love that. Disneyworld?" He spun the wheel again, distractedly moving his purple car.

"Of course Disneyworld. Do you even have to ask?"

"Ugh, taxes." Matthew pulled a ten thousand from his pile of money and handed it to Alfred, who was the banker in this game. They kept switching.

Alfred took the blue bill and set it on the cardboards cover. After a few moments he hadn't moved again.

"Al?"

His brother blinked, his eyes flickering back into focus. "Hmm? Yeah?"

Matthew motioned towards the box. "I need two thousand."

The American's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, yeah." He grabbed two pink bills and handed them to Matthew, smiling slightly. "Sorry, the bank was running slow."

"It's alright." He really hated to ruin his brother's good mood… Just one more try for the day. "Alfred?"

"Yeah?"

"How bad are the nightmares?"

Alfred paused for a moment, his face becoming nearly expressionless before the tired look returned. The life had dimmed. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. There was another moment of silence and he sighed softly, poking his blue stick. "Me and my little blue guy don't have to answer to that."

Matthew noticed that his brother hadn't outright denied the nightmares. He nodded. "I won't make you and your little blue guy answer, but…" He smiled at his twin. "I can wait."

Alfred huffed softly and spun again.

* * *

**AN: Thank you for reading! Tell me what you think.**

**If you're wondering about the board games... I just think that they would have a lot.**


	5. Questions, Questions, Snowballs?

**AN: New chapter! Wooh! It's the last day of Spring Break sadly so the chapters will probably be bit slow after this. That's really all I have to say so though so... Enjoy.**

* * *

The wind whistled past his ears, nearly pushing him in one direction. He let it, trying to catch up with Sophie as she ran through the snow.

The white, almost blinding, went up past her ankles and Jamie was sure she would trip. "Slow down, Soph." They hadn't been able to catch Jack yesterday, but it had been late. Late meant colder and colder meant they hadn't been able to stay outside as long. They had wanted to come out early today, though.

His sister turned her head back and smiled at him, her golden hair falling over her face. "But I wanna see Jack, Jamie!"

He smiled and nodded. He knew she was exited and so was he. They really hadn't been able to find Jack a lot this winter. When they had been able to catch him or he was able to visit they usually didn't have much time. Either it was time for them to head inside or he had to go somewhere else to bring kids snow. He was busier now that he was an official guardian, but he still visited. The wind was usually his way of telling them where to go. That, or a snowball in the face.

Jamie knelt down and packed a snowball, ready for the inevitable hit. The wind kept pushing him forwards and Sophie was farther ahead. She could run fast when she wanted to… "Sophie, I wanna see him first! Wait up!"

"I can beat you there!"

He laughed and ran to catch up. They were headed further from the house, but that was okay. Mom would think they were going to see a friend, and they were. Just one that they hadn't told her about.

Well… They had, kind of, but she hadn't believed them.

He was closer to Sophie now. She was only a few yards in front of him. It looked like they were headed to the park, which almost looked like a big snow castle from here.

Sophie disappeared as she went down the hill in front of them, one he almost hadn't noticed because everything was white. He heard slipping and a loud, "Umph!"

The brunet slowed down at the top and looked down, a smile making its way onto his face. Sophie had slid straight into a certain someone's legs. "Jack!"

The guardian looked up, grinning. "Hey, Jamie. Great snow day, huh?" He reached down and picked Sophie up. The blonde was giggling.

She turned towards him, her green eyes glinting. "I told you I would beat you here."

Jack looked between the two of them. "You're racing for me now?" He laughed and smiled at Sophie, looking like he was remembering something. "You did have fast feet."

She smiled back at him and asked lightly, "Bunny?"

Jack shook his head. "He didn't want to get his feet cold." When she pouted he smiled more. "Just kidding, Soph. He has to prepare." Though the holiday was months away, they knew it was true. "Don't worry, Easter will be here before you know it."

Sophie nodded, smiling again. "Okay."

He set Sophie down, making sure she didn't slip further down the hill, and turned towards Jamie, ruffling his hair. "You're getting bigger kiddo."

The boy laughed. "I'm still a kid, Jack."

Jack nodded and walked around them, swinging his crook. "I know, know…" He swung it upwards and a pile of snowballs lay on the frozen ground. "And that means I can still do this-"

As the guardian shot a snowball forward with his crook, using it almost like a hockey stick, Jamie threw his own ammo. It hit Jack square in the chest. "Oh!" Jack smirked, staggering backwards like he'd been shot. "You've gotten better at this."

Jack's snowball hit Jamie in the forehead, the snow sticking to his hat. After a moment he saw blue on the edges of his vision and felt the familiar feeling of… happiness, fun. Like you could do anything and it didn't matter what went wrong. It made the other one, the sick feeling, dim.

Another snowball sailed through the air from behind both of them. Both boys turned to see Sophie laughing(and somewhat squealing) towards the park. Jamie met Jack's eyes and they ran after her, making as many snowballs as they could in the process.

They reached the end of the hill, both covered in snow. Jamie's clothes were exploding with the white from tripping along the way. They managed to cross the street successfully (success meaning minimal slipping) and skidded into the entrance of the park.

The slides were covered in ice with fresh snow on top. The ice would have made it difficult to play, but they weren't focused on that. Jamie ran to one slide and set his snowballs next to it, scouting the area. He didn't see Sophie anywhere… or hear her. There weren't that many kids in the park either, but it was still pretty early.

The brunet leaned down to start making a type of fort, or at least something to block some of the shots. He heard Jack step next to him.

"Where's Sophie? I'd think she would come out by now."

He looked around again, feeling a small amount of worry. She made it across the street safely right?

That was when he saw it. There was a wall set up about twenty feet away, near the edge of the park. It was big and it stretched a good ways. His eyes widened and he grabbed his snowballs. "Duck and cover!" He dived behind the slide as he heard multiple snowballs being hurled his way.

"Whoa!" Jack was in the air now. He rose higher to see who was behind the wall and when he did, he grinned. "Didn't expect a surprise attack from all of you!"

He didn't have to see them. He knew that Cupcake, Pippa, Claude, Caleb, and Monty were behind there.

"Hey Jack!" Caleb called. He heard another snowball sail through the air.

"Took you long enough to get here." Claude added jokingly, laughing.

Something hit the back of his jacket and he turned around, feeling the snow shift off. Sophie was giggling and when she saw him looking she ran in the other direction. "I got him!" She yelled.

He crawled out from beneath the play set and smiled when he saw Cupcake reach down and give his sister a high five. "No fair."

Pippa grinned, busy making another snowball. "It's called infiltration Jamie."

He laughed and grabbed a snowball from his arsenal, sending it at them. Jack was grinning next to them as he quickly ran to give them more ammo.

Jamie loved this. It was always a great time when he got out and played in the snow with everyone, but it was the best when Jack was with them and joined in. It was always more fun.

"Hey, everyone!"

They turned to see Jack on top of the play set, leaning on his crook. He smirked at them. "I would duck and cover again because there's a cannon ball heading your way."

Their eyes widened and they ran behind the wall, forgetting about the all-out brawl. They heard snow being mixed and Sophie peeked her head above the wall. Her eyes widened in wonder when she saw him moving the snow. "What's he doing?"

Cupcake pulled his sister down, smiling lightly. "Making a cannon ball."

Not a moment later they heard snow being hurled at them. They braced themselves for the wall to fall, but just before it would have hit the giant snowball exploded and sent fresh flakes everywhere. They stood and saw a small pile of snow in front of their wall and the rest of the ground around it covered in white, like no one had been here.

"Thought we were in for it on that one." Claude said softly before laughing. "That was awesome."

Jack jumped down, leaving the once covered play set barren of snow. "Like the new touch?"

They nodded. "I'm surprised the wall survived." Pippa added, trying to brush the new snow off of her jacket.

"Well, Sophie hadn't seen the cannonball." He leaned down. "How'd you like it, Soph?"

"Pretty." She laughed, glancing at some of the still falling snow, and then started making another snowball. She had become a lot better at it, and a lot quicker too.

Jack smiled and got back up. He shrugged, smirking slightly. "Besides, I didn't want to ruin your wall."

Claude and Caleb looked between each other. "Not enough power in the throw, huh?" Clyde summed up.

The guardian laughed and nodded. "Thought I'd at least give it a bang."

Sophie sat up and threw her snowball with a satisfied 'agh!'It hit jack in the side of the head, the white almost blending with his hair. He laughed and soon another battle was on.

* * *

_Everyone was arguing again. Why did they have to keep doing that?_

_Despite the noise, however, the room almost didn't feel real. It looked real enough. The table was there, the chairs aligned in their designated spots, the name cards telling them where to sit were there. The nations definitely looked real. They sat or stood, talking or arguing. It was the general chaos he had grown used to at world meetings. _

_But… He wasn't sure what it was about the place. Something just didn't seem right. It almost felt like the times he would walk around on no sleep or hyper on coffee and things would seem surreal. _

_They weren't yelling at him though… that was good. _

_Arthur and Francis were the ones going at it. He didn't know what they were talking about. It could have been an important issue or something really trivial and stupid. Something like Arthur's tea or what one of them was wearing. _

_Someone tapped his shoulder. He turned and smiled when he saw it was his brother. "Oh, hey bro. What took you so long?"_

_Matthew shrugged, smiling slightly. "Nothing important." He sat in the chair next to him and glanced around the room. "Did I miss anything?"_

_He shook his head. "No, just more arguing. Ludwig hasn't gone off on us yet."_

"_Well, I can see that. I could hear all of you from the hall."_

_He shrugged. "That'll happen." He was always surprised that no one complained about it. _

_Matthew chuckled. He motioned towards Francis and Arthur. "They still arguing about the same thing?"_

_He nodded, his smile widening. "Wanna bet?"_

_His brother nodded in return. "Sure. Who blows up first or who storms off?"_

_He thought for a moment. Which would work best...? "How about who storms off?"_

"_I like that. Who are you rooting for?"_

"_Hm… It depends on what the fight is about."_

"_We can't even hear what it's about though, Al."_

"_I know. It's like all of us have our own built in megaphones and-"_

"_Would everyone please shut up?!" Speaking of megaphones…_

_Ludwig stared them down, obviously thoroughly done with their nonsense. Slowly everyone calmed down, returned to their seats, and stopped talking. They looked towards Ludwig and waited, some more patient than others, to restart the meeting. How much longer did they have anyway? He couldn't remember when they had started in the first place._

"_Took them long enough." Matthew whispered. _

_He nodded. "I know." He paused and turned towards his brother, completely ignoring Ludwig as he began talking. "Hey, when's the next break?"_

"_I don't know. Why would I know?"_

_Matt suddenly sounded… different. His eyebrows furrowed. "I don't know." He watched as Ludwig left the podium and directed another nation to go up and start their speech. "I just thought you might have heard something."_

"_How would I have heard something?"_

_His eyes narrowed. Why did Matt's voice sound so weird? And why did he keep countering him? He turned his head and his heart stopped. He jumped backwards, falling out of his chair. The noise stopped around him. "Oh my god, Matt!"_

_Matthew stared at him blankly, like nothing was wrong. "What?"_

"_Yo-you're- oh my god what-"_

"_Bleeding? Yeah."_

_Blood was seeping through his brother's shirt. He couldn't tell where it was coming from. It could be the stomach but… it was everywhere. He noticed more of it every second. It was rolling down the chair, soaking the carpet. Just a moment ago he had been fine... how...?_

_His head hurt. Had he hit it? "W-when did-"_

_Matthew looked a little surprised now. "Its been there the whole time. Didn't you notice?"_

"_What are you talking about?!" It hadn't been there. He knew it hadn't been there._

"_Who are you talking to Alfred?" Ludwig questioned from his seat, an almost annoyed expression on his face. _

_He looked around, heart pounding. Everyone was staring at him like he was crazy. "What the hell are you talking about?!" He didn't care if he was yelling. His brother was fucking bleeding and how the hell had it happened? What the fucking hell was going on? "I'm talking to Matthew!" They couldn't be forgetting him now! He stood and gestured towards his brother. "He's fucking bleeding you idiots!"_

_Everyone looked to where his brother was sitting, but their reactions weren't shocked. They were only worried, disbelieving maybe. _

_Arthur was staring at him. He could see the concern that his former guardian was showing. "Alfred, lad, what are you talking about?"_

_His mouth opened, but nothing came out. What did they mean 'what was he talking about'? It was right in front of their faces._

"_There's nothing there." Francis whispered. He talked like he was looking at a child that he was ready to take out of the room to explain something to._

"_W-what do you mea-"_

"_There's nothing there." Arthur repeated, serious. "We don't know any Matthew."_

_He couldn't breathe. He looked at Matthew again; ready to explain, but… He stared. There _was _nothing there. It was an empty chair. There was no blood. Not even a drop. There wasn't anything anywhere._

"_Wha-what…? I don't… I don't understand."_

"_Alfred-san…" Kiku started, his eyebrow's furrowing. "Maybe you should sit down."_

_He shook his head. No, no, no, no, this was his brother. His brother was here. He was somewhere. He had to be somewhere. Oh god was he okay? Was he dying? Was he already dead? Had he even been bleeding?_

"_Alfred." Arthur was close now, behind him. "There is no Matthew."_

_He whipped around, feeling ready to fight if Arthur tried to stop him. "B-but he's my brother…!"_

_Arthur's look was trying to tell him to understand. "You don't have a brother lad."_

_Something broke. His eyes were burning. "No!" He shouted. He remembered. He remembered every day they had goofed off, every time they had fought, every… God no. This was not happening. Matt was not gone. _

_He ran; out of the meeting room, away from the people who were losing their minds. "Matt!" He looked down the halls. "Matthew!"_

_He opened a door to an empty room. One room. Two. Three. Nothing. "Canada!"_

_He ran down the stairs. He had to be here somewhere. He had to be. He wasn't crazy, he wasn't. "Matt!"_

_Then he saw it. Red. Red drops on the stairs, heading towards the door. _

_He stopped for a moment. He needed to find Matthew, see if he was behind the door. He needed to move._

_After another breath, he had slowly grabbed the door knob. One more and he was out the door. Okay…It would be okay. He would find him. He would fix this, whatever this was. There was a blood trail in the hallway. It grew thicker by the corner. He rounded it, heading down another hallway and then he saw the pool of blood. And someone lying in it…_

"_Matt! Matthew!" He couldn't see well. His head was spinning. He ran and knelt next to his brother, who was covered in blood. His purple eyes were almost blank. "Matt, it'll be okay." He tried to see where the bleeding was coming from. "I-it'll be okay. I promise." How could someone have this much blood? It was almost ridiculous..._

_Matt blinked. He looked at him for a moment and then started moving. He tried to get up, sit against the wall. When he tried to help Matthew shook his head._

"_Matt, you're bleeding." Matthew had to know that though. He'd already stated it... in the room. Both of them had. "Don't move."_

_His brother's mouth opened. He took a breath. "…Why didn't… why didn't you help me?"_

"_I tried! I tried to find you! I was just- I was-" Too late._

_Matthew leaned against the wall and stared at the ceiling. "You'll forget me…" He said it like he knew without a doubt that it would happen. Then, he stopped breathing._

* * *

Alfred jolted awake. He couldn't breathe. He hurt. He couldn't move.

He was on the floor again.

The American saw the shapes in the room. They didn't make him feel any better this time. He just… he hated this. He hated the nightmares. He didn't know where they had come from but-

Matthew.

He shot up, frantic; his heart feeling like it would burst out of his chest. Was Matt okay?!

Though the fact registered that it had been a nightmare, he didn't care. He had to see.

He pulled himself up and stumbled towards the door, sloppily opening it. He looked down the hall towards Matt's room. No blood… That was good. Always good. He walked down the hall, slower than he wanted (he just couldn't get his body to work with him), and opened the door, flinching when it creaked. He didn't see Matthew.

Kuma was on the floor and turned to look at him. "Morning." He said nonchalantly, as if the person in front of him wasn't losing his mind.

"Whe-"

"Al?"

He froze. Just… just turn around. That was all he had to do. And breathe. Breathing helped. Slowly, he turned and his eyes fell on his brother. There were no wounds, no blood. But it could be like the dream. Or nightmare or whatever it was. It could happen at any moment. "M-matt?"

His brother's eyes narrowed in concern. "Yeah…" The purple orbs looked him over, unfaltering concern in them. "Everything okay…?"

"Yeah." He fought back the words 'just thought you had disappeared.'

For a moment Matthew didn't say anything. Then he motioned towards the living room. "I made breakfast."

He nodded, though he felt like he was going to be sick. They walked into the kitchen and he saw a plate already on the table. He nearly gagged when the smell hit his nose. He almost sat next to the food, just to pretend like he was normal, but Matthew spoke.

"That one's mine."

Alfred's eyebrow's furrowed as he looked at his brother. "Huh?"

Matthew made another plate of food, putting a smaller amount of eggs and hash browns on it before setting it on the counter. "This is yours. It's here when you want it."

Thank you. He wanted to say it, but Matthew nodded.

"You're welcome."

He was really glad they were twins…Or just brothers really.

His brother sat down and started eating. Alfred tried to think of something to do rather than check and see if Matt was bleeding every few seconds. He ended up grabbing an old newspaper and turning it to the comic section, though it hardly proved as a distraction. His eyes kept shifting from one to the other, not registering a word of what he saw.

A few minutes went by and no one said anything. Then Matthew spoke, setting his utensil on the table with a small click.

"Why'd you forget me, Al?"

He froze. What… The American raised his eyes. Matthew had blood on his shirt again, but he almost looked like a zombie. It was without the rotting, but his skin was still extremely pale and partially blue. "What?" He choked.

His twin stared at him indifferently, his voice just as expressionless. "Why did you forget me?"

Alfred blinked, fumbling with his words. "But i- I didn't forget you I-"

"Don't lie to me."

Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder. He jumped.

"Al, Al, it's okay."

He looked at Matthew and this time (this was so confusing… he wished he knew what was going on…) there was no blood. His brother was alive and he looked extremely worried.

Alfred tried to remember how to breathe. It was just a hallucination… that was it, right? A hallucination…

When he was able to think somewhat clearly, he heard Matthew ask softly, "What happened?"

He shook his head, not looking up in fear he would see something worse. "Don't wanna talk about it…"

* * *

Someone was in the kitchen. Because there was no one else in the house other than he and his brother Feliciano could only assume it was Lovino.

The Italian walked into the room and immediately spotted his brother. Lovino was near the counter with an empty pot. It looked like he was getting ready to make lunch.

"Buon pomeriggio fratello."

The older Italian turned his head. "What do you want?"

"Hmm?"

"For lunch?"

"Oh." Good, Lovino wasn't mad at him. He didn't have to think about it long. "Pasta."

Lovino smiled slightly. "Spaghetti?"

"Sí. That's fine." Feliciano pulled out a chair and sat down. He looked out the window and watched a bit of snow start to fall. He tried to think of the night before. He was almost sure he had had another nightmare… it felt like he had.

He remembered it vaguely… It had had something to do with Ludwig, hadn't it? Yes, he thought so. But he couldn't remember what had happened. All he knew was that when he had woken up he had felt horrible and was more tired now than when he had gone to bed that night.

Maybe it had been like that dream he had had that time… when Ludwig and Kiku had left him alone. Or maybe it had been worse. It probably had.

Had Lovino been in it too? Feliciano remembered seeing his brother. He wasn't sure of what had been said… maybe his twin had insulted him? That was likely. Hurt him…?

"Feli."

He blinked, head snapping up. "Yes?"

Lovino was raising an eyebrow at him. "Are you going to help me make this?" He tried to sound annoyed, but Feliciano could tell he was concerned.

He nodded. "Of course."

Between the two of them, making lunch didn't take long at all. Lovino had made the sauce and he had made the noodles. When it was all done they ate peacefully, neither talking much until Feliciano decided something needed to be said.

"This is really good, Lovino."

His brother blinked in surprise before smirking slightly. "You helped make it, dumbass."

"_You're a worthless brother."_

Feli shuddered. Was that what Lovino had said in his nightmare? He really didn't like that… He wasn't sure if he felt better or worse at not being able to remember what had occurred.

There was more silence and soon they were finished. Lovino was out of his seat first and set his plate in the sink. He yawned. "I'm going to go to sleep."

Feliciano nodded, knowing Lovino had left the offer open.

When he didn't say anything, Lovino sighed. He walked back into the kitchen, having been near the door, and sat in his previous seat. He rested his arms on the table, saying quietly, "Alright, talk."

The younger Italian raised an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like I'm a moron." He leaned forward, his expression completely serious. "I don't want you losing sleep over this shit. What's going on?"

Feliciano bit his lip. "Its… weird."

"Weird that you're having nightmares?" Lovino sounded disbelieving.

"No." They both knew he usually had nightmares. "These were… different. Weird."

Lovino's eyes narrowed. He'd said something he shouldn't have, hadn't he? "These? You've had more?"

Feli laughed softly; nervously. "Sí." He tried to think of how to explain it, but thought he could start with something that might make Lovino not worry (he knew his brother did despite how much he tried to play it off) as much. "I haven't had a lot."

"How many?"

"Two." Then, he added as an afterthought, "I think."

Lovino was silent for a moment. "Were they like ones you usually have? Or that one from… whenever that you told me about?"

He shook his head. These felt so much different than the ones he had had in the past. It was almost like they lived, and breathed and,,, wanted to scare him to death. "They're vivid. Well… the one I had last night wasn't."

"Details?"

"Um…" He trailed off.

"So I was in it…" Lovino summed dryly. "Okay, how about the one yesterday?"

Usually, Feliciano would talk about his nightmares. But with these… he almost felt he shouldn't. He wasn't sure why. It just...

"It's not like I'll cry it out to the world, fratello."

He nodded slowly. That was true. He knew that out of anyone, Lovino wouldn't say anything. "Alright… The one yesterday mainly had…" He took a deep breath, but still didn't feel like he could say the name. "Him."

Lovino stared at him blankly, then confusedly, then his eyes widened. "Wait… You mean _him _him? The one that you..?"

Feliciano was silent again and that was all his brother needed as confirmation.

"What did he say? Or do?"

He didn't need to sound so suspicious. "Not a lot. He just came out of nowhere and… told me to run." He left out the bit about the empire looking as if he had just died.

"From what?"

Feliciano looked down at his stomach like the wounds would still be there. It had felt that real. "Bullets." He didn't think he should mention the voice (voices?) either. That probably wouldn't help anything…

After a moment Lovino sighed. "Well… You're not on the battlefield anymore." He stood and started to leave the room, pausing again in the doorway. He looked almost awkward. "If you need anything, tell me. I'll _try_-" He emphasized the try. Of course. "- not to curse if you wake me up."

Feliciano smiled. "Grazie fratello."

Lovino shrugged his thanks away and walked towards his room. "Yeah, yeah."

Well… he guessed could at least try to get some sleep later.

* * *

**AN: Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think.**

**If you're wondering why I didn't italicize the hallucination... It's because it felt real to Alfred so it might as well feel real to those who are reading. It was pretty obvious that it was a hallucination, but still. And at least Feli is talking about something, even if he's leaving out a few details. **

**Translations:**

**Buon pomeriggio(Italian)- Good afternoon**


End file.
